On James Doohan’s 100th birthday, remembering when the Star Trek actor helped save a suicidal fan’s life

James Doohan as “Scotty” on Star Trek

Yesterday, March 3rd, would have been actor James Doohan’s 100th birthday. Doohan, who was born on March 3rd, 1920, and passed away on July 20th, 2005, was best known (of course) for his role as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, or “Scotty” in Star Trek.

In celebration of his centennial birthday, The Hollywood Reporter published a piece remembering when he recounted the story of saving the life of one suicidal young fan. They also included a video of Doohan himself, telling the story.

The interaction started with a letter from a fan who told the actor that she was feeling suicidal. Doohan called her and, as he recalled, he told her, “Hey, this is Jimmy Doohan. Scotty of Star Trek. I’m doing a convention in Indianapolis, and I want to see you there.” He went on to tell the young woman about other conventions he would be attending and that he wanted to see her there, too.

That went on for a couple of years until suddenly - nothing. Then, Doohan recalled, “eight years later, I get a letter saying, ‘I do want to thank you so much for what you did for me, I just got my master’s degree in electronic engineering.’”

In addition to his acting, Doohan was also known for being a World War II veteran who was wounded in combat. James Doohan was a hero both on and off the screen.